Question

Which one of the following irrigation canals is the most important in terms of area coverage in Haryana?
A) Bhakra canal
B) The Western Yamuna canal
C) Jawaharlal Nehru canal
D) Gurgaon canal

Answer 1

Hint: Canals are waterway channels, often known as artificial waterways, that are used to move water or service water transport vehicles. They can be thought of as artificial rivers because they conduct free surface flow under air pressure.

Complete answer:
Firoz Shah Tughlaq built and restored the Western Yamuna Canal in the river Yamuna in 1335 CE. It stopped flowing in 1750 CE because of heavy silting. Captain GR Blane of the Bengal Engineer Group undertook a three-year rehabilitation of the British Raj in 1817.
The canal has a total length of 3200 kilometres, including branches like the Sirsa, Hansi, Butana, Sunder, and Delhi branches, as well as hundreds of large and minor irrigation canals that serve as nesting sites for numerous bird species.

The Hathnikund Barrage, about 38 kilometres (24 miles) south of Dakpathar, is where the Western Yamuna Canal begins. The canals irrigate wide swaths of land in Ambala, Karnal, Sonepat, Rohtak, Jind, Hisar, and Bhiwani districts.

Therefore the correct answer is option ‘B’ i.e, Western Yamuna Canal.

Note: Water is also transported through canals for agriculture and other human purposes. While more efficient modes of transportation have lessened the necessity for canals, they continue to serve an important role as transit conduits and facilitators of global trade.